30 Hatur(The Thirtieth Day of the Blessed Month of Hatour)

1. On this day, St. Acacius, Patriarch of the city of
Constantinople, departed. He was knowledgeable and well informed about the Holy
Books and was an expert in explaining their mysteries. So, he was ordained a
priest over the church of Constantinople.

When the council of Chalcedone convened, he refused to
attend its meeting and when they called on him to hear his opinion, he refused,
claiming he was sick. He was exceedingly sorrowful for the tribulations that
befell St. Dioscurus and he made that known to his companions and those he
trusted: the Governors, Christians and ministers whom he knew to be dedicated
and faithful Orthodox. He thanked the Lord that he did not participate in the
works of this council.

When Anatolius, the Patriarch of Constantinople
departed, this father was chosen by the believing ministers and the enlightened
government officials to be successor. St. Acacius strove diligently to eliminate
the division and enmity that dwelled in the church. When he found that the
spiritual ailment was deep-rooted and difficult to overcome, he believed that
the proper thing to do was to devote his efforts to the salvation of his own
soul.

He sent a letter to the holy father, Abba Peter, the
Pope of Alexandria, confessing the true faith which he had learned and received
from the holy fathers, Abba Cyril and Abba Dioscorus. He followed that letter
with many others, asking the Pope of Alexandria to accept him in the fellowship.
The Pope of Alexandria answered all his letters, then he wrote him a Catholic
letter and sent it with three bishops. They went disguised until they entered
Constantinople and there they met Acacius, who treated them with great honor and
received the letter from them. He read the letter to his friends, the Orthodox
nobles of the city and they all agreed on it and with him, and confessed the
True Faith. Then he wrote a letter before them, accepting the faith of Abba
Dioscorus, Abba Timothy and Abba Peter and confessing the soundness of their
faith. Afterwards, he accompanied the three bishops to some monasteries and he
took part with them in the celebration of the liturgy and the partaking of the
Holy Communion. The bishops then exchanged the blessings with him, took the
letter and returned it to Abba Peter. The Bishops informed Abba Peter about
their fellowship with Abba Acacius and that they had taken part in the liturgy
with him. Abba Peter accepted the letter and ordered that Abba Acacius be
mentioned in the liturgies and the prayers of the Coptic church.

When the news reached the bishops of Rome, they exiled
St. Acacius from Constantinople. He remained in exile until he departed in
peace, all the while remaining firm in his Orthodox Faith.